ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus)

The first ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) closed here Tuesday with participants demonstrating their political will to promote peace, stability and development in the region.

The first ADMM-Plus meeting marks a new development phase of ASEAN in expanding cooperation with countries outside the region, said Vietnamese Defense Minister Phung Quang Thanh at a press conference following the conclusion of the meeting.

During the one-day meeting, participants exchanged views on regional and international security and had voluntary briefing on their own national defense and security policies, said Thanh.

Defense ministers and representatives focused their discussions on cooperation in five areas including humanitarian aid and disaster relief, military medicine, maritime security, counter- terrorism, and peace-keeping operations, said Thanh

They also decided to assign defense senior officials to set up experts’ working groups to boost cooperation in the above- mentioned prioritized areas, said Thanh.

Defense ministers and representatives passed a joint declaration at the end of the meeting, showing their trust and determination towards a strategic cooperation for peace and stability in the region, according to Thanh.

The First ADMM-Plus drew officials from 10 ASEAN members — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam — and their eight dialogue partners — Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.